Postdoctoral Researcher: Soviet-Educated East Africans

Uva; Amsterdam; Hybrid; EUR 41,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contract with possible extension

Competitive monthly salary 3,706–5,760

8% holiday allowance

8.3% end-of-year allowance

Professional development

Fieldwork funding

International work environment

Job summary

University of Amsterdam invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher within IRInA, an ERC Starting Grant project. You will study Soviet-educated East Africans, their professional trajectories, memories, and the modern relevance of alumni networks.

The position engages in archival research, oral history, and qualitative fieldwork across Uganda and possibly other East African countries. You will collaborate with the project leader and colleagues, develop an independent project, and

Qualifications

• Completed PhD in a relevant field.
• Experience with qualitative research, interviews, oral history, ethnographic fieldwork or archival research.
• Knowledge of languages spoken in Uganda is a strong asset; Russian or other USSR language is an advantage.
• Good command of written and spoken English and a publication record appropriate to your career stage.
• Ability to develop independent fieldwork design and undertake it in Uganda.

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct an original postdoctoral project on Soviet-educated African professionals, memory and alumni networks, in consultation with the project leader.
• Undertake archival research, oral-history interviews and qualitative fieldwork in Uganda and potentially in other East African countries.
• Examine how former students remember Soviet education, including professional formation, mobility, solidarity, friendship, racialisation and political change.
• Map and analyse alumni organisations and their relationships with other institutions, embassies, universities and educational or commercial intermediaries.
• Publish at least three peer-reviewed outputs, including two single- or lead-authored journal articles, and contribute to comparative project publications.
• Present findings at international conferences and contribute to project workshops, research communication, data management and team activities.

Skills

Qualitative research

Interviews

Oral history

Ethnographic fieldwork

Archival research

Independent fieldwork design

Education

PhD in history, anthropology, African studies, sociology, political science, international relations, or related field

Job description

University of Amsterdam invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher within IRInA, an ERC Starting Grant project. You will study Soviet-educated East Africans, their professional trajectories, memories, and the modern relevance of alumni networks.

The position engages in archival research, oral history, and qualitative fieldwork across Uganda and possibly other East African countries. You will collaborate with the project leader and colleagues, develop an independent project, and